If pitching a tent on a tropical island is your thing, add Anclote Key to your bucket list.
Anclote Key Preserve State Park is in the Gulf off Tarpon Springs, three miles over open water and accessible only by boat.
The four-mile-long island is an especially popular destination for weekend kayakers with five miles of pristine white-sand beaches and offshore sandbars.
Only experienced kayakers accustomed to open-water paddling should attempt this trip in a kayak.
You’ll also find excellent fishing, an ideal perch for bird watching, a historic 1887 lighthouse and primitive camping.
Anclote Key Preserve State Park is comprised of four islands — Anclote Key, North Anclote Bar, South Anclote Bar and Three Rooker Island, all popular with boaters who bring their beach chairs, umbrellas, paddleboards and snorkeling gear for weekend adventures.
Camping on Anclote Key
Camping is permitted only in the primitive campground area on the north end of the island. Beach camping is allowed, as are campfires, but do not cut down any trees. Fuel your campfire with dead limbs or bring your own firewood.
The campground does have a composting toilet, but that’s about it. There is no water, no grills and no waste receptacles. Bring everything you need with you and take everything out.
Raccoons do inhabit the island, and they have very little to drink, so carefully protect your water and food supplies from curious (and hungry) critters. Strong bungee cords wrapped securely around any cooler storing water or food will help. At night, I usually pull a kayak up over the cooler as well.
There are no grills, but campfires are allowed on the beach. Cutting live limbs from trees or brush is not permitted, but you can pick up dry wood and dead limbs from the ground. Rangers request that you build your fire below the high tide line.
The island is well known for its biting gnats, “no-see-ums,” and mosquitoes, so don’t leave home without DEET or other suitable repellant.
While there is no fee for camping on Anclote Key, campers do need to register by calling 727-638-4447. Have your boat registration number, number of campers, arrival and departure dates and a contact phone number off island in case of emergency.
Kayak Camping: Sharkchow’s Checklist
Anclote Key Preserve State Park. Tarpon Springs FL 34689. Phone: (727) 241-6106. Three miles off the coast of Tarpon Springs, the park is accessible only by private boat or ferry (details below). GPS: N 2810.020 W 08250.687.
Wildlife on Anclote Key
A wide variety of shorebirds nest on Anclote Key and its beaches, making it one of the top five birding destinations in Florida. The four-mile long island is home to at least 43 species of birds, including the American oystercatcher, bald eagle and piping plover.
Rangers are particularly sensitive about disturbing the birds, which is why pets are not allowed on the islands.
The habitat that nurtures birds also nurtures marine life. Much of the eastern portion of the island are tidal wetlands saturated with mangroves and surrounded by seagrass beds, making it an excellent nursery for breeding fish.
The east side is a flats angler’s dream for redfish and sea trout, while the west side of the island is known for catches of snook. Fish the grass flats with soft-tail jigs, while live shrimp, pinfish and even cut bait work well all around the island.
At night, between the months of May and October, sea turtles crawl from the Gulf waters and lay their eggs on the beach.
Where to launch your boat
- Fred Howard Park, 1700 Sunset Drive, Tarpon Springs. Parking fee is $6 daily (2026). Easy launch into St. Joseph Sound from the beach or a mangrove trail. It’s a two-mile paddle from the beach to the south end of Anclote Key, the closest point.
- Anclote River Park, 1119 Baillie’s Bluff Rd., Holiday, FL. It’s about three miles to the nearest point on Anclote Key from this park. There is a $10 per day fee for using the launch and overnight parking. Boat ramps open 24/7 for active launching & retrieval only.
- Anclote Gulf Park, 2305 Baileys Bluff Road, Holiday, FL. The paddle from this launch is about four miles to the north end of Anclote Key.
Day Trippers: Take the ferry (No campers)
Day visitors can take the ferry out to Anclote Key, but the ferry will not transport overnight campers. You need your own boat if you plan to camp overnight.
Boat tours to Anclote Key are multi-purpose: You tour the Anclote River and hear a little Tarpon Springs history, you gaze on the Gulf waters and spot dolphins, you see a variety of birds (including magnificent frigate birds on our trip) and you get a short stop on the island itself.
The tours give visitors enough time to walk the the perfect sandy beaches of Anclote Key but do not include visiting the lighthouse. (Twice a year, in September and December, special trips are conducted that include lighthouse tours where visitors can climb its 140-step spiral staircase.)
Ferry service to the island is offered by and Sponge-O-Rama (727) 943-2164. These ferries leave from Tarpon Springs’ historic Sponge Docks, and reservations are strongly advised.
Read this story: Visit dazzling island of Anclote Key on tour boat from Sponge Docks
Friends of Anclote Key State Park hosts visitors who can climb the lighthouse the second weekend of January, February, March, April and May. Details are here. You must arrange your own transportation. For details, go to anclotecso.org
